For decades, Lupin the Third has been entertaining generations. From manga, animated series, and movies, this clever thief has somehow managed to find a way to stay relevant for over 50 years. Between 1967 and today, it is safe to say a lot of things have changed. One thing we can always count on is Lupin committing more crimes with his gang and going up against Inspector Zenigata.
There are some things that didn't quite age well with the character and the franchise. That isn't to say it still isn't good, but just some subjects have just changed, and we now view things differently. What was once acceptable has since been corrected or fixed. Here are 10 ways Lupin the Third didn't age well.
10 Lupin's Name
When Lupin was created, he was based on popular fictitious character Arsène Lupin created by Maurice LeBlanc. Monkey Punch, the creator of the franchise, called his character Lupin the Third. The linkage between these two characters have been hinted, but never stated outright. Since the creator never asked the LeBlanc estate to use the name, some areas couldn’t show the anime with Lupin’s actual name.
To counteract this, they used the translated name “Wolf” or” Rupan.” Fast forward a couple of decades, and that is no longer the case as the copyrights expired, thus ending that brief chapter of a name game.
9 Womanizer
One of the most common things about Lupin is his encounters with women. He may be a gentleman thief, but it is often his heart that keeps getting stolen by women, one of them being Fujiko Mine. Since the series first started, this back and forth of flirtation has been going on. Lupin always tries to impress Fujiko, but she leads him on for her benefit.
Every time Lupin does something perverted such as sneaking a peek under Fujiko’s skirt, she bashes him for it. Even in the manga, Lupin was seen just using women for his own personal pleasure. In the present day, this just doesn't sit well with audiences, as men should be held accountable for this type of behavior.
8 Many Marriages
For someone who is a womanizer and cannot stay with one woman, Lupin has certainly been married many times. In Part I, Lupin married Fujiko, but someone made her vanish, and this annulled their vows. Part II, he married a man who had an extensive art collection and never signed divorce papers.
In Part IV, he marries again but only with Italian celebrity Rebecca for her country’s crown. Whether it's the knowledge of the writers or just for comedy relief, this trope in of itself is outdated and recycled, as the writers seem to keep falling back on this idea.
7 Cross-Dressing
Since everyone in Lupin's gang is a master of disguise, when cases require it, everyone would cross-dress for the good of the caper. Instances like this have been featured in the manga since the beginning and have appeared in many of the series.
This act has been met with mixed results in both media mediums as well. Whether it is hiding from the police or getting information for a case, you can always expect a cross-dressing plan to show up. That being said, this tactic is more in line with the Looney Tunes than an espionage type of franchise.
6 Cigarettes and Smoking
For a cartoon or anime that started in the '60s, that act of smoking usually appears. From American cartoons like The Flintstones to Japanese ones like Lupin the Third, characters were used to advertise smoking. Both Lupin and Jigen can almost always be seen smoking a cigarette.
Over time and knowing what cigarettes do, we can see how dated they are and how dated the usage in animation is. For Lupin, if smoking was used for the plot, it would make more sense. All together, it just has no purpose anymore.
5 Excessive Violence
Lupin the Third had a series that ran in 1971 called Part I or the Green Jacket series, which most Americans didn't know existed. The first half of this series was more violent as it was directed by the creator of the actual manga. Due to the constant on-screen deaths by bullets and fire, the first ten episodes didn't do so hot.
The studio then fired the director, hired new directors, and brought the series to new popularity. The popularity was able to spawn four more series and a plethora of specials and movies, all aiming for a younger audience. As the series progressed, it became lighter, and the need for constant violence went down.
4 Excessive Adult Themes
While originally written for a more mature audience, Lupin the Third has gone through drastic changes to be shown on television. Excessive nudity and adult jokes do not hold up today compared with how the show advertised itself over the following decades. With a younger age audience in mind, Lupin had to tame some of more adult nature.
The manga and television series that used to expose naked bodies don't hold up any more, as the audience shifted. In fact, in a special, we learn that Fujiko's name refers to the peaks of Mount Fuji, which in itself created a double entendre referring to another part of her body.
3 OVA's and Specials
There have been many spin-offs and specials that this franchise has had. These did not age well in terms of animation and storytelling. Where the other series such as Parts II-V, added to the Lupin lore, these were just one-off stories where that had no real consequences.
Even the spin-off sequel series Lupin the VIII failed. This series was a sequel to the actual story about Lupin's decadent. This failed even before it was even fully created. The sequel series alone outdated itself in terms of plot and originality.
2 Zenigata Character Development
In both the manga and the earlier parts of the anime, Inspector Zenigata used to be very smart, but over time it seems the writers started to decrease his intelligence for comedy relief. Instead of the cat and mouse game that is seen in the later series, there have been times where Zengiata captured and stumped Lupin.
Such instances include creating special Lupin handcuffs that bind the captor by the thumbs. Now we see Zenigatia just running around screaming Lupin's name. Time has lessened Zenigati’s character development into nothing and made him age poorly to a one-note adversary.
1 That Live-Action 1974 Movie
Lupin III: Strange Psychokinetic Strategy has a lot going on. First, this movie’s setting was in the '70s, and the decade had a different type of genre. It is a little comedy mixed with action. Kind of like Blaxploitation films, a concept that tries to be serious, but also has a couple of laughs. Now this movie immediately dates itself by using this time setting.
Next, the movie Lupin and Fujiko Mine as a couple. Unfortunately, it also shows Fujiko as a female damsel instead of a female Fatale. She constantly needs Lupin's help. Lastly, just look at those clothes. Nothing about this movie screams Lupin. It looks like it can just be any movie with a caper genre with recognizable names. Overall it seems like a pre- Austin Powers.